Feds authorize sales of American communication technologies to Iran

Iranians have long demanded more human rights from the country’s government. (Image: daniellinphoto/Flickr)

The United States has lifted portions of two-decades-old sanctions against Iran in an effort to bolster communication between the country’s citizens — and potentially aid organization against a repressive Iranian government.

Collin Anderson, an Iranian Internet researcher, told Cyrus Farivar of Ars Technica that “The Administration has set an important precedent in asserting that the free flow of information is a fundamental right, and now the burden of its realization is placed on private companies, who far too often block services unnecessarily.”

Like any demand that creates a black market, Iranian dissidents have had clever ways of getting their hands on American technologies for some time. But legalizing the trade, at least for US companies, will go a long ways to reduce the costs of those goods and streamline trade.

Trade sanctions have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Though they can slow down the bad guys down by restricting access to quality goods, they often harm the good guys too, by not only causing the same restrictions but lowering the overall quality of living.

Whether the more efficient trade markets lead to actual organization and change in Iran is yet to be determined. But these are at least steps in the right direction.

“As the Iranian government attempts to silence its people by cutting off their communication with each other and the rest of the world, the United States will continue to take action to help the Iranian people,” read a statement from the US Treasury.

It is worth pointing out that US technology companies stand to benefit from the change, as this opens up one more market for their goods. But special interest cynicism doesn’t hold a lot of water when the changes truly help innocent people.